UK: TS v SRS rates

[Jim Beaux]

http://www.gires.org.uk/GRA.php
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/ukpga_20040007_en_1

In the UK, changing your gender comes under the Gender Recognition Act 2004, enacted in April 2005.

Beyond competent diagnosis of gender dysphoria this law does NOT require any surgery or medical treatment whatsoever.

The Act requires
1) The person is 18+
2) Has or has had gender dysphoria (a term not defined in the Act), as certified by a relevant professional (or professionals)
3) Solid evidence that the person has lived in the target gender for at least 2 years
4) A panel assessing the gender change must be satisfied that the applicant intends living in the target gender until death.

The panel meets and considers around 16 applications at each sitting. About 50% get referred back for clarification. But the law requires that if evidence as above is presented, the change must be approved by the panel, and a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is issued. Only 3 applications in 2008 have been rejected to date.

A GRC allows you to change everything else – birth certificate, passport, driving licence etc.

UK law permits civil unions between same sex partners but not marriage. Trans individuals who are legally married and do no wish to dissolve the marriage are not permitted a GRC. This appears to be about to be challenged under UK/European human rights laws.

[Australia has different requirements for a gender change, but also requires married people to divorce whether they wish to do so or not.]

[Jim Beaux]

http://www.gires.org.uk/assets/LGBTSummit/LGBThealthsummit2008.pdf
[The link is to a presentation done by GIRES in Sep 08. It is the basis for an article that is going through peer review/publication but isn't there yet.]

NUMBERS ALREADY TRANSITIONED IN THE UK

1995, Department of Social Security, 3,000.

(NB If the rate from the 1996 Dutch study was applied to the 1995 UK population, the total should have been 2,650.)

2003. Inland Revenue (tax) and Pensions Departments, 4,000.
2003. Passport agency and driving licence agency, 5,000

March 2008. GRCs issued to UK respondents was 2,080. A survey showed only 34% of those already transitioned had a GRC, giving an estimated total transitioned of 6,200.

A 1998 survey in Scotland found 60% of transsexuals had transitioned, with a further 40% in psychological support/counselling or not in treatment.

If that ratio applies to the UK, the prevalence would be 21 per 100,000.

The Scottish survey also found that of those who had transitioned, just under 60% was post op, and just over 40% was pre-op.

The number of new referrals to mid 1998 was 1,200, a prevalence of 2.6 per 100,000. The compares with Holland where the number of new referrals peaked in 2000 at 1.6 per 100,000.

Other measures suggest higher figures for the UK, sometimes significantly higher.

The ratio of mtf to ftm in the UK seems to be 4:1, compared to other Western European countries returning 3:1 or 2:1

The median age for transition rose steadily from around 30 in 1995 to around 42/43 in 2002, and it has stayed around that since.

The presenters suggest drivers for growth include the Internet, media attention, legal safeguards and the state funded treatment.

UK figures may be under-reported with respect to gender variant youngsters. The numbers referred to the state scheme for one year were 1126 adults to 64 aged 15 and under. The UK does not provide medication until puberty is complete, unlike many overseas examples.